Stepping Stones of the Past, Present, and Future
by sleepygirlelise
Summary: A parallel universe, where Harry visits his family and his sister somehow ends up in his... a very, er, INTERESTING fic...


A/N: This is the first time I've tried a story saying, "what if?" so don't desert me yet. It probably stinks, but r/r anyway! Thanx! ::yawns sleepily::

THE STEPPING STONES OF CHANCE

Harry Potter sighed and opened his eyes. Another bleary day of Aunt Petunia's chore list was waiting, as usual, on the kitchen table. The list would probably be incredibly long, as he had returned from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry the day before. He stared at the cracked ceiling and sighed again. If only, for one day, he could see what it would be like to live with his parents. If only. 

He turned in bed and climbed out, the broken spring squeaking slightly as his slight weight tumbled off. He blearily rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses, about to open a drawer full of Dudley's old clothing, and reached to pull it open: but was not able to. 

"What's going on?" he asked himself, looking around wildly. He had somehow been transported to a strange, HUGE room with gold wallpaper and (he looked down in astonishment) thick, rich scarlet carpeting. Besides the fact that the Dursley's never liked wall-to-wall carpeting, even they didn't own anything in comparison to the king-size bed positioned in a corner, directly under a large, sunny skylight. He gulped and looked around wildly. A large closet was positioned very close to the generous oak dresser he was standing next to. Another oak piece of furniture, this time a sturdy desk, was next to a large window looking out to an immense garden and lake, with two swans swimming on its glassy surface.

Harry could see his reflection in the full size mirror close to a door he assumed was a bathroom: and nearly screamed. His scar was missing. He clapped his hand to his forehead and massaged the place it had once been, but it was gone. Gone. 

At least his glasses were the familiar, black round shape, but without tape or any dents on the frame. His clothing was the most comfortable thing he had ever felt: some type of silk pajamas that kept him amazingly warm. They were a shiny gold. He felt like screaming, running out of the house terrified, but he held himself in place and took a deep breath. 

_Where am I?_ A frantic part of his head screeched. 

_Stay calm. Everything will be all right._ The more rational, thinking part replied.

_Yeah, I'm supposed to stay calm in some mysterious _rich_ house when I have absolutely NO idea who lives here. Is that your master plan?_

__Harry shook his head and looked around again. He tentatively opened a dresser drawer and stared at the expensive clothes inside: practically designer jeans and shirts. He picked up a T-shirt and jumped as a voice suddenly yelled from downstairs in the gigantic house.

"Harry! Hurry up or your breakfast will be cold!" the voice was sweet and loving, he could tell, despite the annoyed tone. Suddenly a thought came rushing at him: what if his silly little "what if" wish had come true? Was he… with his parents? His green eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be possible, even in the wizarding world: could it?

He looked at the dresser, thinking about the choices: he could stay up here, not risking it, and have the woman calling finally come up, which she would; or he could risk it, put on some of this Harry's clothes and go downstairs, ready to face whatever it was awaiting him. He picked the latter, looked through some of this Harry's clothes, and finally picked a very comfortable shirt and pair of jeans and, carrying them delicately, peeked into the room he had assumed to be a bathroom. It was: one with expensive and _cold_ marble, and green marble counters with a bathtub and a separate shower. He goggled at this, still beyond words, and hurried into the clothes and ran out of the room.

The hall was carpeted as well, and the sunny passage had several doors leading off it. He padded along in a pair of socks and walked down a nice oak stairway. He came into a cheerful, airy kitchen; large like all the other things he had seen so far in the house. He gripped his wand, which he had found on the desk and appeared exactly the same as his old one, only more polished. He took a deep breath as three faces turned to greet him at the kitchen table.

"Hello, Harry, dear," a woman said, with red hair tied in a loose bun and wearing a plain shirt and pants. He almost gasped as he recognized her as the woman in his scrapbook of pictures: his mother. "Sit down and have some pancakes. Minnie just made them!" A small house elf, carrying a platter of steaming pancakes, smiled cheerily at him. 

"Harry!" a girl cried. She seemed about 11 years old, and she jumped out of her seat and ran to him, giving him a hug. She had red hair in short plaits to her shoulders and light brown eyes. "Harry, tell me everything! Everything about Hogwarts! I get to start soon, we'll be in classes together!" She jumped up and down and returned to her seat. She was, apparently, a very jumpy child. 

"Er, hi Mom. Hi… sis." He guessed, sitting down at the chair offered by the house elf. He looked at the last face, one he had longed to see, to hear say something, all his life…

"Hello, Harry. Did you have a good time in school?" the voice was warm and friendly, and oddly like that of a teen. He looked almost exactly like Harry, but taller and not as skinny. His round glasses were also pushed up the bridge of his nose, and unruly black hair also fell across his forehead. However, his eyes were soft brown like the young girl… his sister? He smiled, hiding the emotions at seeing his family – _his family_ – for the first time ever. 

"Hi, Dad," to act more like the Harry he supposed was here, (he had seen a Quidditch broom and Gryffindor Quidditch robes), he added, "After we eat breakfast, can we play a little Quidditch?"

His mother burst out laughing. "I swear, you two are exact replicas of each other. First day of summer vacation: want to play Quidditch? I don't know how Alyssa and I survive." She smiled at his sister (Alyssa?) and laughed. James Potter rolled his eyes. 

"It's not like you two don't go shopping and socializing with friends or having block parties, you know." Harry grinned. The fact that the famous James Potter (from what he'd heard, anyway) had a sense of humor was somehow amusing. The family helped themselves to pancakes for a few more minutes before the bell rang. James and Lily got up, laughed, and opened the kitchen door. A man with a long, white beard and glasses stepped in, and made Harry swallow his toast without chewing. It was Albus Dumbledore.

If there was anytime to talk to Dumbledore, it was now. Dumbledore smiled at the Potters charmingly, handing his coat to an eager to please Minnie, and looked at Harry from the door. 

"What a pleasant surprise! Come in, Albus, come in!" James said, leading "Albus" to an armchair in the room to the side of the kitchen. Lily, Harry, and Alyssa, who seemed suddenly shy and clung to her "big brother", followed. 

"Make yourself comfortable, Albus. Why did you come all the way here from Hogwarts, and at the beginning of vacation no less?" Lily asked curiously. Dumbledore smiled and looked at Harry, who gulped.

"As a matter of fact, it's Harry I need to talk to, Lily. If you don't mind, could we go somewhere private to talk?" Though Lily looked flustered, she nodded and left the room, dragging Alyssa behind her. James gave a cheery "see you later, then," and followed. Dumbledore made sure the door was securely closed before looking at Harry wearily. "So, Harry. You've discovered the Wistomus charm. I thought it would happen soon."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but what –"

"You are from a world where your parents are dead, are you not?" 

"Yes, but…"

"I know you have questions. But first: listen to me. Let me explain how this happened, and then I'll answer and questions. Understand?" Harry nodded. "Good. Now let me begin.

"The Wistomus charm was developed by a wizard by the name of Eltory. He was a good man who had an unquenchable curiosity. It was this curiosity that made him make this certain charm.

"You see, Harry, the Wistomus charm is something that gives the wisher whatever they want. It is, in a way, the brother of the Mirror of Erised, which only shows the wisher what they want. Anyway, only a certain feeling in a person's body can make the Wistomus charm affect if they are not able to go back, forward, and around in time and other universes like I can. And that certain aspect you have, Harry, hidden right inside you. 

"Eltory was a brilliant man, you see. He did not want just anybody to be able to have a wish fulfilled like a wish box: he wanted someone special. 

"I know what you are about to say, Harry," the professor said as Harry opened his mouth to interrupt. "What is that element? I have it, Harry. Voldemort did as well, but he used it before gaining power and therefore never achieved immortality. It is this: a destiny that will change the world. It might seem odd, but it is, in fact, one of the best yet most rash qualities Eltory could use. You see, everyone has a destiny, but only some are truly important. Yours is. Mine is. Voldemort's is, though in a bad way. By choosing this element in a person he had no control over what type of person gets it: good or bad.

"This charm can only be used once. You'll see, Harry. Enjoy your day here. And remember: I could transport you back now, if you wish. It will hurt you more than you will know to leave your parents and sister. Do you wish to leave with me now?"

"No, sir," Harry said quietly. "I understand how you feel, but I'd like to at least know my parents. And sister. Please." He looked up at Dumbledore's solemn face.

"It's your choice, Harry," he said, slowly getting up, "I will come for you at midnight. You may then say goodbye to everyone here, and then go with me. Back…"

"To the Dursley's." Harry replied heavily.

"Don't be gloomy, Harry. You have more protection there than you think." He smiled and disappeared, leaving Harry mulling over his thoughts.

***

Alyssa was a good sister, nicer to him than Ginny was to Ron, and simply adored Harry. This got to be annoying at times, when Alyssa (or Lyssie, as she was called) would try to copy everything he did. He sighed as she pulled herself up a branch of the oak tree, as skinny as he was at her age.

"Lyssie, do you always have to follow me?" he asked, when two of his hiding places had been found that morning and this one in five minutes. She smiled cheery, a little optimist, and started chatting about Hogwarts and what her "dear friend Wilma" said her brother said about Hogwarts. Harry sighed and suddenly stopped his mood. He was only going to see his sister for a week! Better be the best brother possible.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked, his inner body wincing at what she might say. Her face shone.

"You're asking me? Hmmm, I think… er… how about… we build something!" As this was far from the answer expected, he said dumbly,

"Build something?"

"Of course, silly! Lets go to the woodshop."

She hopped down from the tree, and he followed, feeling slightly sick.

An hour later, two smiling children triumphantly carried a small, oddly shaped stool out of the woodshop. Their mother and father, who had been sitting at one of the benches in the garden, laughed and rose to greet them. 

"This is beautiful, you two!"

"We'll put it in the kitchen," said their father, smiling. "So, Harry: shall we play Quidditch?" Harry grinned, shouted "you bet!" over his shoulder, and ran upstairs to get the broom he had seen earlier. 

His father was amazing: no, not amazing, _spectacular_. They tried to get the Quaffle past each other and dodge the loose bludgers (Lyssie and Lily went inside distastefully), and Harry caught the snitch quite frequently and thoroughly enjoyed impressing his dad.

"Let's take a rest, Harry." James laughed after an hour of sweating. Harry smiled at him and followed his father, _his father_, inside. 

***

Harry lay in bed, thinking. It had been the best day of his life: the feeling of being completely loved, of having a family. And now it would have to vanish and he would be transported home to the cold-hearted Dursley's.

He stifled a sob and lay on his side. Dumbledore had been right. It was more painful than before, now that he knew his family. He knew how Alyssa was scared to dive into deep water. He truly knew, now, that his father was the coolest guy, next to Sirius, he had ever met. His mother was awesome, all light and kindness. He felt like kicking something. This house! His family! If only Sirius hadn't switched places with Wormtail… he could have had the perfect life, watched Lyssie struggle through Hogwarts. 

But would it have been so great? He might never have met Ron and Hermione. After all, the reason the met the Weasley's at first was because he didn't know how to get through the barrier with no parent to tell him. And Hermione: hadn't the real reason she come in to their compartment, besides looking for Neville's toad, been to meet him, the legendary Harry Potter? He wasn't legendary in this world. 

And then, if he hadn't met his two best friends, how could they have had the fun times they had had together? How could they have gone on so many dangerous adventures side by side? 

And Hagrid, who was friendly to almost all: how would he have become good friends with Hagrid if Hagrid hadn't come to bring Harry to Hogwarts? He would just be another kid, maybe one with the "destiny to change the world" and a good Quidditch player, but nothing truly out of the ordinary. 

How could he give up his past times, his friends, even for the family he had wanted for so long? Yes, they were his family. But he had lived so long without them, they still had hidden things they did not know. He had yearned but he had accepted; he could never forget his friends and past life. No, Wistomus charm: don't ever work again. My home is back home, not in a world I barely know.

The clock in the hall chimed twelve times, and with a rustling of wind Dumbledore appeared in his room. Harry got out of bed without a word, fully dressed, and followed Dumbledore out of the room. He stopped at Alyssa's room. 

"May I say goodbye?" he asked quietly. Dumbledore nodded, tears in his blue eyes. Harry opened the door softly. 

In the blue and white room lay his sister, her breathing quiet and light. Tears filled Harry's eyes as she turned in her sleep and faced him, her face so easy. He walked to her bed and sat down on the ground next to it. 

"Goodbye, Lyssie. I'll miss you, always. I never knew you existed, before I came here. Oh, be good at Hogwarts, because I won't be there to see you. Let the Dumbledore there take care of you. Oh, Lyssie, I love you. My little sister, I love you." He kissed the top of her red hair and slowly walked out of the room. As he was about to close the door, his parent's room just down the hall, he could have sworn he heard a small voice say,

"I love you too, Harry."

A/N: I think this is my favorite fanfiction ever! ::wipes her eyes::Please review, flames welcomed! And since I hate doing disclaimers, let's put it this way: figure it our yourself who's characters are mine or J.K. Rowling's.  



End file.
